We’ve all heard the saying “kill ‘em with kindness,” usually in reference to defusing the power of a bully. This week, I stumbled upon kindness’s other top target: crabbiness. The idea isn’t exactly new. The health and mood benefits of kindness have been widely touted, and Doing Good Together is built around the idea that improving the lives of others can improve lives within our families.

This week I saw that impact in action. Taking time out for kindness directly improved the course of our day.

My two-year-old has been… well… two. Not terrible, exactly, but definitely over-extended, moody, and aggressively crabby.

For a couple of days I tried earlier bed times and a low key schedule, but even when well-rested, her mood continued to drive my five-year-old screaming out of the playhouse.

To occupy them both, I pulled out our card making supplies. For about a month, sending cheery cards to kids in the hospital had become a morning routine of ours. The chaos of summer scheduling ended that routine for a while, but as soon as the girls saw the box of cards, addresses, stamps, and craft supplies, they knew what to do.

To my delight, my two-year-old’s mood transformed with this little project, and her big sister seemed energized as well. Talking about the needs of others, and thinking about our hopes and well-wishes for the kids on the other end of the mail route gave all three of us a sense of gratitude and peace.

Redirecting our energy toward kindness for others took my daughters and I out of ourselves. Our focus was no longer centered on our no good day but instead on bringing a smile to someone else. As a result, even miss two-year-old was full of smiles for the rest of the day.

Have you noticed the mood altering impact of a random act of kindness? Share your story!

Tags: Craft, Improving Lives

About Sarah

Sarah Aadland is striving to make family volunteering a meaningful habit for her family of five. Join the conversation as she ponders what they may (or may not have) learned and looks for helpful information about raising compassionate kids.Though she plans to one day put her Masters in Public Policy back to work for social justice, she sees family volunteering as a way to build a stronger community, a better world, and a more connected family. In addition to her children, Sarah tends a large garden, a small flock of chickens, and a habit of mindfulness amid the necessary rituals of parenting.

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